Wilmer Flores Powers Mets To 9-1 Win

Alex Goodlett

Wilmer Flores #4 of the New York Mets celebrates with teammates Travis d'Arnaud #15 and Daniel Murphy #28 after hitting a home run in the fifth inning during a game against the Miami Marlins on September 16, 2014 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

Wilmer Flores #4 of the New York Mets celebrates with teammates Travis d'Arnaud #15 and Daniel Murphy #28 after hitting a home run in the fifth inning during a game against the Miami Marlins on September 16, 2014 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Alex Goodlett)

Flores doubled off Eovaldi and added two homers off Penny, amassing six RBI in the Mets' 9-1 walloping of the Marlins Tuesday at Citi Field. It's a nip-and-tuck battle for second place in the National League East between the Marlins, Mets and Braves, all of whom have losing records.

Pitching for a chance to give his team a series win and clinch no worse than a 4-6 road trip, Eovaldi continued his stultifying run of substandard performances. Tuesday marked the fifth time this season (fourth since June 13) he's been charged with six or more runs in a game.

The Marlins' offense was no less of a conundrum. It totaled 12 hits during Bartolo Colon's 7 2/3 innings (13 for the game) and scored one run. It was the second time in franchise history and first since Sept. 17, 2004 against the Braves that the Marlins put 13 or more in the 'H' column and failed to score multiple runs.

Colon is the first opposing starter to allow more than 10 hits to the Marlins and hold them to a run. Since 1914 only 14 starters have limited an opponent to zero or no runs while allowing 12 hits over 7 2/3 innings or fewer. Former Marlins Livan Hernandez and Ricky Nolasco are on that list.

Staked to a 1-0 lead, starter Eovaldi tossed three scoreless before letting the fourth inning get away from him. With a man on second and two out, four consecutive Mets' hitters reached before Eovaldi struck out counterpart Bartolo Colon to end the inning.

Flores' double off the wall tied it. With two on, eight-hole hitter Ruben Tejada stepped in and double home two more. A .225 hitter, Tejada had one extra-base hit in 87 at-bats with runners in scoring position before driving an Eovaldi pitch to left.

According to Baseball Info Solutions, Eovaldi has allowed four or more runs in an inning seven times.

Including five times in 12 starts since the All-Star break, Eovaldi has failed to complete more than five innings eight times this season. Since tossing 6 1/3 scoreless on June 23 to beat the Phillies, Eovaldi over his last 15 starts is 1-9 with a 5.59 ERA, 104 hits, 23 walks and 57 strikeouts in 87 innings.

Entering Tuesday's game, Eovaldi's 5.23 ERA since June 28 was third-highest among qualifying National League starters behind Kyle Kendrick (5.31) and Travis Wood (5.30). A.J. Burnett and now Eovaldi are the only NL pitchers with eight second-half losses.

Eovaldi's ERA through 82 2/3 innings was an outstanding 3.05. It's ballooned to 4.48 thanks to 65 earned runs over his last 104 innings. Opponents are 65 for their last 192 (.339) off Eovaldi.